For Judy Hoetmer, philanthropy is not about headlines. It is about responsibility, gratitude and doing one’s part.

For Judy Hoetmer, the University of Washington was part of her life long before she enrolled as a student.

She grew up near campus — both she, her brother and her father graduated from Roosevelt High School, just two miles away. Weekends often meant games at Husky Stadium for the family. Attending college at UW felt like a natural next step. In 1958, she enrolled and became the first in her family to attend college, graduating in 1962 with a degree in history. She went to the UW for academics. Golf was simply something she loved.

Her father was a golf professional at Sand Point Country Club, and the game was part of daily family life. But when she arrived on campus, there was no women’s golf team. This was years before Title IX prohibited sex-based discrimination at any school that receives federal funding.

Still, her talent was hard to ignore. With support from the athletic department, Hoetmer competed as an individual in national collegiate tournaments. In 1961, she earned her national title by winning the women’s national intercollegiate individual golf championship. And the next year, as a senior, she finished runner-up.

In 1988, she was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame with her family by her side. Seeing their pride that day remains one of the greatest moments of her life.

“That,” Hoetmer says, “is a big part of why I’m so grateful to the university.”

A Career of Curiosity and Responsibility

After graduating in 1962, Hoetmer headed south in search of sunshine, and taught history in California’s Bay Area for 16 years.

As a teacher, she encouraged students to think about the world beyond themselves.

“I always encouraged my students to stay curious, keep learning and to understand their responsibilities to their communities and the world,” Hoetmer says.

Golf remained a steady thread in her life, and she believes that the sport teaches one of life’s most important lessons: to win with gratitude and lose with grace.

A Planned Gift with Purpose

Though she now splits her time between Nevada and Palm Springs, Hoetmer has always stayed connected to Seattle and to the University of Washington. She wanted to support the university that played such a formative role in her early years.

She has long admired the work of UW Medicine and the broader research community. As she watched federal research funding shrink, she began thinking more seriously about the growing need for support in medical research.

So Hoetmer included UW Medicine in her estate plans to help move research forward.

“I want to be part of moving important medical research forward,” she says. “I trust the university to steward these resources where they can make the greatest impact.”

At 85, Hoetmer says a planned gift makes sense — a simple, straightforward process that allows her to make a lasting impact.

Encouraging Others to Step Forward

When asked about her decision to make a planned gift, Hoetmer is quick to brush off praise. She does not see herself as extraordinary. Instead, she calls herself lucky — lucky to have loving parents, strong teachers and a lifelong place in what she calls the “tribe” of golfers, people she describes as generous and kind.

But her view on giving is clear.

For Hoetmer, philanthropy is not about headlines. It is about responsibility. It is about gratitude. It is about doing one’s part.

“If you are in a position to give, do it. Progress depends on people stepping forward.” Hoetmer says.

The University of Washington shaped her life as a student, an athlete and a teacher. Now, through her planned gift, she hopes to help shape the future.

Quietly. Thoughtfully. And with the same grace she learned on the golf course.

Written by Patsy Cadwell